Soccer In Toronto 09.06.09

By Rocket Robin Soccer In Toronto

CSL Result
Sunday September 6th, 2009

Final Score
Brampton Lions 3, London City 0

Venue
Victoria Park, Brampton

Kickoff
3:00 pm

Highlights
39 min … Lions Jeremy Shepperd GOAL
Lions Alban Vuktilaj sends pass from 45 yards that Shepperd charges to at 30 yards down the middle and takes 15 yard shot into low left corner of net beyond sprawling goalie Chris Davis. (The City goalie drew a Yellow card for complaining about not winning an expected offside call).

71 min … Lions Jeremy Shepperd GOAL
Lions Alban Vuktilaj receives cross from right and his 15 yard shot is blocked. Shepperd kicks 10 yarder that diving goalie gets body to but the shot’s momentum spins the ball over him into left corner of net.

75 min … City defender Roy Beishuizen was injured on the edge of the City box taking a ball in the face. He was unconscious and left the game after being treated. City did not have a substitute for him and played the rest of the game shorthanded.

88 min … Lions Daniel Nascimento GOAL
Nascimento gets through ball pass from Lions Cameron Medwin from 45 yards and from 30 yards charges up middle and takes 12 yard shot into left side of net.

Notes
Attendance was less than 100 people on this hot day with a bright sun in the south west.

City had listed just two subs on their lineup. Manager Ryan Gauss said after the game he had five players out for a Croatian tournament, five out for a Poland tournament and three serving CSL suspensions and that added up to playing without six starters. Lions got by without Alex Arbelo who although listed as a substitute did not come into the game and looked in pain between the half taking kicks. Also David Guzman was serving a league suspension for elbowing a player in last week’s game.

Lions could have put this game away early but lacked the final touch or were caught offside on chance after chance. City’s patchwork lineup put up a good effort and almost got a tying goal in a flurry in the second half. They had been eliminated from playoff contention on Friday night in a home game against North York Astros.

Amardeep Kahrod earned the shutout for the Lions only being called on to make a few saves but was outshone by City goalie Chris Davis who had to be aggressive breaking up plays and stopping some breakaways and forcing some shots off target.

The referee was Silviu Petrescu and he kept good control over this game. I’ve seen him referee MLS games this season and includes a game in a US city that I saw on television. He also said he was the referee for the exhibition game earlier this week between European clubs Celtic and Benfica held at BMO Field.

There was a game held before this that I caught the last 20 minutes. Brampton Lions reserves hung on to beat TFC Academy reserves 2-1. Best moment was when the Academy goalie came up into the Lions box for a cornerkick and was out jumped by the Lions goalie who could of course use his hands to catch the ball. This game had more people in attendance than the main game and more than the main TFC Academy main game against Serbian White Eagles. Maybe players of the younger Academy reserve team needed their parents to drive them to the game.

After an entire weekend of hearing from different people about the resignation of league commissioner Cary Kaplan, the consensus is this was well planned and he was pushed out. The league has different plans for the next two years. I’m really looking forward to being invited to a discussion after the season is over to the changes planned. I’ve now seen executive director Stan Adamson twice this weekend after not seeing him for months at any games.

Once again I have to thank team players and staff for helping me fill in the assists on the goals.